This specification relates to providing, in response to search queries, information identifying aspects of entities identified in the search queries, and using the aspects in presenting information in response to the search queries.
Internet search engines provide information about Internet accessible resources (e.g., Web pages, images, text documents, multimedia content) that are responsive to a user's search query and present information about the resources in a manner that is useful to the user. Internet search engines return a set of search results (e.g., as a ranked list of results) in response to a user submitted query. A search result includes, for example, a URL and a snippet of information from a corresponding resource. Conventional search engines are implemented under an assumption that the user's search query can be satisfied by a single result, and work to help the user find that result. Unfortunately, users are not always looking for a single result, but are instead using the query as a starting point for exploration of an unknown space of information about something that they may initially refer to in a generic way.
For example, a user may submit a query that names or refers to an entity as a starting point for exploring various aspects associated with that entity. When used in reference to operations of an information retrieval system, e.g., a search engine, the term “entity” refers to text that names or identifies something. This something can be any object that can have associated properties (e.g., an object in the physical, conceptual or mythical world). For example, an entity can refer a location, a person, a fictional character, a state, a thing, an idea, and so on. When the meaning is clear from context, and to avoid unnecessary verbiage, the term “entity” may also be used to refer to the thing itself.
Aspects are different axes of information along which additional information about an entity can be obtained. For example, for an entity “Hawaii”, possible aspects can include “beaches,” “hotels,” and “weather.” As with the term “entity”, when used in reference to operations of an information retrieval system, e.g., a search engine, the term “aspect” refers to text that names the aspect in question, and otherwise, when the meaning is clear from context, the term may also be used to refer to the aspect itself.
A single ranked list of results provided by conventional search engines typically fail to provide users an overview of different aspects of the entity. Rather, the single ranked list often provides many results directed to a single or a small number of aspects. Additionally, the presented results typically do not identify the aspects represented.